As ambassador of the newly formed United States of America to France from 1776 to 1785, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) captivated the citizens of Paris upon his arrival and was quickly elevated to celebrity status. None, however, were more enthralled with the celebrated scientist, philosopher and statesman than the French artists who clamored to capture his image, and none produced a more stunning likeness than master portrait sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828).

From May 13 to July 31, in the second-floor European Galleries, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will present “In Pursuit of Genius: Jean-Antoine Houdon and the Sculpted Portraits of Benjamin Franklin,” an exhibition of some 30 works focusing on the museum’s own 1779 marble bust of Benjamin Franklin, considered the finest version of the most familiar image of the famous Philadelphian.

The exhibition is part of the 2006 citywide celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Franklin. It shows together for the first time several examples of Franklin’s portraits created by Houdon between 1778 and 1779, as well as significant sculpted and painted portraits of Franklin made by other French artists like Claude Dejoux and Jean-Jacques Caffieri. The exhibition also includes acclaimed busts of the playwright Molière and Enlightenment thinkers Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, produced in the same year as part of a series of portrayals of great men, which demonstrate Houdon’s inventive use of varied formats and sources.

Jean-Jacques Caffieri (French, 1725-1792), “Bust of Benjamin Franklin,” 1777-90, plaster, height 20 1/2 inches, width 19 inches. RSA, London.

The exhibition was conceived by Dean Walker (1948-2005), thelate Henry P. McIlhenny senior curator of European decorative artsand sculpture, and is being coordinated by Jack Hinton, the Melloncuratorial fellow in European decorative arts and sculpture, alongwith Joseph J. Rishel, the Gisela and Dennis Alter senior curatorof European painting before 1900.

The focus of this exhibition, Houdon’s 1779 marble bust of Franklin, crowns the museum’s collection of historic portraits of the Founding Father. The bust is the most fully realized version of Houdon’s earliest portrait of Franklin. Facing forward, with his head slightly tilted, eyes to the right, and lips slightly parted, Franklin’s brilliant mind at work has been captured by the French artist. Though not a member of the Society of Friends, Franklin is shown in the simple clothing often referred to as “Quaker dress,” which he often wore in France, avoiding the elaborate attire that was customary for ambassadors at the time.

What makes this vision of Franklin all the more impressive, however, is the fact that Houdon made this sculpture without the benefit of studio sittings. He probably observed Franklin only at public gatherings, during which the American ambassador usually remained characteristically quiet. As an approach to a subject who was immensely popular with artists, Houdon’s bust stands as a testament to both Franklin and the sculptor’s respective genius.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. For information, 215-763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.